- George Barendse -- bass (1966)

- Dill Bennink -- guitar, flute, banjo replaced Ferry Karmelk)

  (1967-)

- Joop Bloom -- drums (replaced Pierre van der Linden) 

  (1967-)

- Jan Pieter Boekhoorn -- keyboards (replaced Hans van

  Eijck) (1967)

- Robbie 'Polle' Eduard -- bass, guitar (replaced George

  Barendse) (1966-67)

- Ray Fenwick -- guitar (replaced Ferdy Karmelk) (1967-)

- Carry Janssen -- drums (1966-67)

- Ferry Karmelk (RIP) -- guitar (replaced Ray Fenwick)

  (1967)

- Franklin Madjid -- bass (replaced Robbie Eduard) (1967)

- Franklin Plazier -- keyboards (1966)

- Gerard Romeyn -- bass, backing vocals (1966-67)

- Peter Seilberger -- keyboardist (replaced Jan Pieter

  Boekhoorn) (1967-69)

- Peter Tetteroo (RIP 2002) -- vocals (1966-)

- Pierre van der Linden -- drums (replaced Carry Janssen)

  (1967)

- Hans van Eijck -- keyboards, backing vocals (replaced

  Franklin Plazier) (1966-67 and 69)

- After Tee (Hans van Eijck, Ray Fenwick, Polle

  Eduard and Pierre van der Linden)

- Brainbox (Pierre van der Linden)

- C-Sounds (Franklin Plazier)

- Focus (Pierre van der Linden)

- Jumping Pop-Ins (Jan Pieter Boekhoorn)

- James Mean (Ferry Karmelk and Franklin Madjid)

- Les Baroques (Ferry Karmelk)

- The Motions (Gerard Romeyn)

- Nico Jaak (Carry Janssen and Franklin Plazier)

- Tinus Plotseling (Peter Tetteroo)

- Spencer Davis Group (Ray Fenwick)

- Sympathy (Jan Pieter Boekhoorn)

- Peter Tetteroo (solo efforts)

- Trace (Pierre van der Linden)

Genre: pop

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Join the Tee Set

Company: Tee Set Records

Catalog: TELP 023 S

Year: 1967

Country/State: Holland

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: original Dutch press with die cut cover and original insert

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 4623

Price: $80.00

Cost: $66.00

Today 99.9% of American music fans have no idea who The Tee Set were.  Of that remaining tenth of a percent who may actually recognize the name, it's equally unlikely that they've heard anything from the band besides their fluke 1969 hit 'Ma Belle Amie".

While I'm not a huge fan, I'll readily admit that the band has one of the most convoluted histories I've ever stumbled across.

Born and raised in the Dutch city of Delft, Peter Tetteroo started his professional career in 1960.  Only 13, he fronted a cover band, The Defenders.  Working part time in a local restaurant Tetteroo persuaded the owner to allow the band to perform at the restaurant.  Over the next three years The Defenders became a popular local act.  Unfortunately when The Defenders were offered an opportunity to tour Germany, the 15 year old Tetteroo was forced to drop out of the group.

Tetteroo subsequently hooked up with The Shats. With a line up consisting of bassist George Barendse, drummer Carry Janssen, keyboardists Robbie "Bambi'' Plazier, lead guitarist Gerard "Gerry" Romeyn and rhythm guitarist Robbie "Polle" Eduard the band continued to work part time on the restaurant and club circuit.  1965 saw the band unsuccessfully audition for EMI Holland, but within a matter of months the Dutch Negram/Delta label signed them to a contract.  Concerned that Anglo audience might construe the band name as the past tense for 'shit', they briefly became 'The Delft Blues', before hitting on the somewhat clumsy The Tee Set. 

As part of the incentive for signing with Delta, the band was given an opportunity to record a song written by The Motions Robbie van Leeuven.  Released as their debut single, 1966's 'Early In the Morning' b/w 'Nothing Can Ever Change This Love' (Delta catalog number DS-1194) provided them with a Dutch top-40 hit.  A second van Leeuven was picked as their sophomore release.   Like the debut, 1966's 'Believe What I Say b/w 'Don't Mess with Cupid' (Delta catalog number 1204) also hit the Dutch top-10 charts.

- 1966's 'Don't You Leave' b/w 'Long Ago' (Delta catalog number DS-1224)

With his background in the restaurant business, long time manager Theo Kuppens had always been rather astute in directing the band's career.  Unlike most groups, the band paid for their own recording efforts and retained the rights to their master tapes which were leased to Negram/Delta.  In a then unusual move, in 1967 Kuppens and Tetteroo decided to form their own label (Tee Set Records).  

At the same time, the band literally exploded with van Eijck, Deuard, Fenwick and van der Linden handing in their notices in order to form the band After Tea.  Tetteroo quickly set about rebuilding the band, recruiting most of the members of the Dutch band James Mean.  

With a new line up consisting of Peter Tetteroo, drummer Joop Bloom, keyboardist Jan Pieter Boekhoorn, guitarist Ferdi Karmelk, and bassist Franklin Madijd in place, the group released  1967's "Join the Tee Set".  Produced by Tetteroo, the album was packaged as a psychedelic excursion (check out the inner sleeve photo of the band decked out in Japanese garb).  That said, self-penned material such as 'I Can Only See Your Face', 'Take Me for a Little While' and 'Who Are You Thinking of Now' reflected an ongoing desire to remain commercial, including several stabs at horn augmented blue-eyed soul.  While the occasionally clunky English lyrics could be overlooked ('Tea Is Famous'), Tetteroo's strained vocals were a bigger problem.  Lacking much in the way of range, on tracks such as 'Life's But Nothing' and '' you were left wondering if he was going to make it through the song, or explode with a sudden aneurysm.  Elsewhere, the band turned in one of the weirdest Dylan covers you'll ever hear.  The first time I heard their cover of Dylan's 'It's All Over Baby Blue' I could've sworn I was listening to something out of The Four Tops catalog.  Fascinating in a weird fashion.  Elsewhere two Dutch singles were pulled from the LP:

- 1967's 'Tea Is Famous' b/w 'Since I Lost Your Love' (Teeset catalog number TS-1266)

- 1968's 'Life's But Nothing' b/w 'Join the Teaseat) (Teeset catalog number TS-1275)

"Join the Tee Set" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) I Can Only See Your Face   (Ferry Karmelk) 

2.) Life's But Nothing   (David Skinner - Andrew Rose) - 

3.) Tea Is Famous   (Jan Pieter Boekhoorn - Peter Tetteroo) - 

4.) Don't Love Someone   (Ferry Karmelk - Peter Tetteroo) -

5.) Miss Cathy Jones   (Frans Mijts - Ray Fenwick - Peter Tetteroo) - 

6.) You Like To Have   (Peter Teterroo) - 

(side 2)
1.) Take Me for a Little While   (Trade Martin) - 

2.) Join the Tea-Set   (Frans Mijts - Peter Tetteroo) -  

3.) Feeling Down Folks   (Eric Elston) - 

4.) Who Are You Thinking of Now   (Frans Mijts - Joop Bloom - Peter Tetteroo) -   

5.) It's All Over Baby Blue   (Bob Dylan) - 

6.) Powerful Emotions   (Dick Bakker - Peter Teterroo) - 

Sadly Tetteroo died of liver cancer in September 2002.